I can't opine as to which rate schedule is better presently. However, it's very clear that EV- is the exclusive direction that PG&E wants to go post 2014, and will do so unless we strongly push back. There are no tiers in EV-.

Based on the rate case for E-1, I actually think PG&E would like to get rid of tiers overall, if they could. If they can't, they would like to make the tiering system meaningless.

I can't opine as to which rate schedule is better presently. However, it's very clear that EV- is the exclusive direction that PG&E wants to go post 2014, and will do so unless we strongly push back. There are no tiers in EV-.

Based on the rate case for E-1, I actually think PG&E would like to get rid of tiers overall, if they could. If they can't, they would like to make the tiering system meaningless.

What PG&E really wants is demand pricing, which they call "time-variant" pricing. Prices would fluctuate on a daily -- or hourly -- basis depending on supply and demand. The Division of Ratepayer Advocates published a white paper on this subject a couple of years ago:

PG&E really sticks it to residential rate payers, with or without tiers. Take Silicon Valley Power or SMUD as examples. Silicon Valley power doesn't have (need!) an EV rate as they charge residential customers about 10c/kWH all day long. SMUD does have an EV rate, but their basic rate is a touch higher than SVP until you get over 700 kWH/month.

PG&E is lowering commercial rates (presumably, businesses can opt to generate themselves) and raising residential rates (which in the higher tiers are some of the highest in the country).

This is NOT an example of a well regulated monopoly.

If PG&E had to weather market forces, you could expect your electric bills to be quite similar to Silicon Valley power (or Alameda power).

Stop rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic and solve the actual problem.

Apparently, PG&E's EV rates will be effective on Aug 1 http://www.pge.com/nots/rates/tariffs/t ... 4231-E.pdf . Some folks on E-9(A) pay a significant penalty in the summer months (example: air conditioning with peak kWH at 56c in the higher tiers), so it _may_ be advantageous for you to switch to EV as soon as possible.

EricBayArea wrote:I'm glad I'll be staying on E-9a until the end of 2014 because the current EV schedule may be worse than me going back to E-1

Now that I have more than a year on E9-A I can offer these numbers directly from the PGE website below*:

E9-A cost per year 450$
E6-smart cost per year 580$
E6 cost per year 640$
E1-smart cost per year 670$
E1 cost per year 730$
EV-A cost per year 810$

E9-A is real, the others are estimated cost for the same use pattern.

The first and last ones are the two rates that are exclusive to owners of electric cars. EV-A is the one that is available going forward and was advertised as a valid alternative to me currently on E9-A, I don't think so!